Portable grate.



PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

M. A. PALMER.

PORTABLE GBATE.

APPLIOATION FILED run. 9, 1904.

Witneoouo a uflarmfzzlmer GA MMWQQ/ I UNITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

PORTABLE GRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,151, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed November 9, 1904. Serial No. 232,011.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MANLEY AARON PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Enfield, in the county of Penobscot and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Grates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to portable grates particularly designed and adapted for outdoor use by campers, hunters, tourists, and others to support cooking utensils over a fire.

It has for its object to provide a device of this character which is adapted to be folded into a compact form to facilitate easy and convenient handling in transporting it to the place desired and then be unfolded and set up, to provide adjustable grate-bars to accommodate utensils of different sizes, to provide means for locking the legs in their extended position, to provide means for locking the device in its folded condition, and to provide advantages in point of strength, simplicity, inexpensiveness, and lightness.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my portable grate, showing it unfolded and set up ready for use; Fig. 2, a top plan view thereof, showing it folded and ready for transportation. Fig. 3 is a side view of the spring-catch for holding the grate folded; Fig. 1, a fragmentary detail view showing the means of pivoting the adjustable and nonadjustable grate-bars on the side rails.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate invcrted-L-shaped longitud inally-extending side rails spaced apart and connected together by transversely-extending bars 3 and a, adapting them to be moved together or apart, the ends of the bars 3 being connected to the horizontal portions of the side rails by pivots 5, which extend through holes 6 therein and holes 7 in the side rails and the ends of the bars a, connected thereto by pivots 8, which extend through holes 8 therein and longitudinally-extending elongated slots 9 in the side rails and are adapted to be moved therein to bring the bars 4: closer to or farther from the bars 3 to accommodate utensils of different sizes. Legs 10 are connected by I pivots 11 to the vertical portions of the side rails, so that when turned up they will lie against'the inner surfaces and above the lower edges thereof, and when turned down their upper ends 12 will come into contact with the horizontal portions of the side rails and limit the movement of the legs.

Spring-catches 13 and 14: are provided at the ends of the side rails for holding the grate in its closed condition, the inner end of the catch 13 being loosely connected at 15 to the side rail 1 and the outer end formed into a hook 15, adapted to be sprung over the side rail 2 and the inner end of the catch 14 being loosely connected at 16 to the side rail 2 and the outer end formed into a hook 17, adapted to be sprung over the side rail 1.

It will be understood that by providing the movable grate-bars 1 if the utensil is too small to be supported on the bars when spaced equal distances apart the bars 4 may be moved closer to the bars 3 to accommodate it.

Although 1 construct my grate preferably of metal, it may be made of any other suitable non-combustible material.

The operation is as follows: To unfold or open the grate and set it up ready for use, the hooked ends of the catches are sprung off the side rails by forcing them outwardly and downwardly, the side rails are pulled apart, and the legs pulled down until the ends 12 come into contact with the horizontal portions of the side rails,and to close the grate for transportation the side rails are forced together, the legs turned up, and the hooked ends of the catches again sprung over the side rails by pulling them upwardly.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and improvements. 1 therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the scope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

What I claim is 1. In a portable grate, side rails and gratebars connecting said side rails and adjustable thereon with relation to each other, substantially as described.

2. In a portable grate, side rails and adj ustable and non-adjustable grate-bars connecting said side rails, the first-mentioned grate-bars being adjustable thereon With relation to the last-mentioned grate-bars, substantially as described.

3. In a portable grate, angular side rails, grate-bars having their ends pivoted to the horizontal portions of said side rails and legs pivoted to the vertical portions of said side rails and their upper ends adapted to come into contact With the horizontal portion of said side rails to limit the movement of said legs, substantially as described.

4. In a portable grate, side rails, grate-bars connecting said side rails and adjustable thereon with relation to each other and foldable legs, substantially as described.

5. In a portable grate, side rails, adjustable and non-adjustable grate-bars connecting said rails, the first-mentioned grate-bars being adjustable thereon With relation to the last-mentioned grate-bars and foldable legs, substantially as described.

6. In a portable grate, side rails having holes and elongated slots and adjustable and non-adjustable grate-bars, the first-mentioned grate-bars provided With pivots engaging said elongated slots and the last-mentioned gratebars having pivots engaging said holes, substantially as described.

7. In a portable grate, side rails having holes and elongated slots, adjustable and nonadjustable grate-bars, the first mentioned grate-bars provided with pivots engaging said elongated slots and the last-mentioned gratebars provided With pivots engaging said holes and foldable legs, substantially as described.

8. In aportable grate, side rails, grate-bars connecting said side rails and adjustable thereon with relation to each other and means for holding the grate-bars in folded condition, substantially as described.

9. In a portable grate, side rails, adjustable and non-adjustable grate-bars connecting said side rails, the first-mentioned grate-bars being adjustable thereon With relation to the last-mentioned grate-bars, and means for holding the grate in folded condition, substantially as described.

10. In a foldable grate, side rails, adjustable and non-adjustable grate-bars connecting said side rails, the first-mentioned grate-bars being adjustable thereon with relation to the last-mentioned grate-bars, foldable legs, and means for holding the grate in folded condition, substantially as described.

11. Inaportable grate, side rails, grate-bars connecting said side rails and adjustable thereon With relation to each other, foldable legs and means for holding the grate in folded condition, substantially as described.

In testimony WhereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MANLEY AARON PALMER.

WVitnesses:

BERTRAM L. FLETCHER, BARTLETT BROOKS. 

